There were no military text-books andthere was not much place for them in the works of poets and rishis. If a modem noveldeals in some chapters with the treatment and cure of a tick person, we can not expect to see such details in it as might interest a medical man. No author would care, even if he were able, to include scientific details in his story.

So, we cannot hope to find in the epic of Vyasa, precise details as to what istortoise formation or lotus formation. We have no explanation as to how one could, by dis- charging a continuous stream of arrows, build a defence around himself orintercept and cut missiles in transit, or how one could be living when pierced all over by arrows, or how far the armour wom by the soldiers and officers could protect them against missiles or what were the ambu- lance arrangements or how the dead were disposed of.